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Chinese journalist not to appeal against jail term for Wuhan reports

蘋果日報 2021/01/14 15:34


Incarcerated Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan has decided not to appeal against her sentence, according to her defense lawyer. Found guilty of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” Zhang was sentenced to four years in jail in December last year for reporting from ground zero of COVID-19.
The risk of additional penalty and a second trial might have contributed to her decision, said her lawyer. They had their fifth meeting on Thursday, which was expected to be their last.
Zhang has been on a hunger strike since she was detained. She was later force-fed, sometimes through a feeding tube. The lawyer said she appears to be in good spirits. She is consuming fruits, dim sum and milk powder, but has refused to eat vegetables, meat and rice. Correctional officers have threatened to force feed her with a thicker nasogastric tube if she persisted.
Shanghai’s Pudong detention center, where she is being held, has denied family visits to Zhang, citing COVID-19 restrictions. Video calls can be arranged only with the permission from the authorities.
During the visit, her defense lawyer read to her postcards sent by Wuhan residents. Zhang expressed thanks and said she did not do well enough. She urged her friends to take care of their health. She remembers her precious experience and memories in Wuhan and looks forward to revisiting the beautiful time she had with them upon her release, said Zhang.
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